The ongoing human rights crisis in North Korea requires urgent global attention, even as international headlines continue to focus on the country’s missile launches and military developments. Recent reports and statements at the United Nations Human Rights Council highlight that the situation inside the country has shown little improvement and, in some areas, has worsened over the past decade.
On March 13, Elizabeth Salmón, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, addressed the council and emphasized that the country’s human rights conditions remain deeply concerning. In her annual report, she proposed measurable indicators to track how North Korea implements recommendations made by other countries during the Universal Periodic Review, a UN mechanism that evaluates the human rights records of member states.
The report points to growing restrictions on freedom of movement within North Korea, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the findings, authorities have expanded border fencing, established new guard posts and tightened enforcement of domestic travel permits. Border guards are reportedly still under shoot-on-sight orders for individuals attempting to leave the country without authorization. Only 223 North Koreans managed to reach South Korea in 2025, highlighting the severe obstacles faced by those trying to escape. Individuals caught attempting to flee risk torture, imprisonment and forced labor, including cases involving North Koreans detained in China and facing possible forced return.
Concerns were also raised about labor rights. According to the report, Pyongyang rejected all recommendations related to forced labor during the Universal Periodic Review process. The 2025 Labour Management Act reportedly assigns citizens to workplaces, reinforcing a system of state-directed labor that critics say amounts to forced labor.
Human rights experts have long argued that these abuses are closely linked to the country’s security and weapons programs. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and previous UN investigations have noted that North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs have been supported by practices such as arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearances, forced labor and strict limits on access to information and movement.
Experts say that efforts by the international community to address North Korea’s weapons programs should also confront the human rights violations connected to them. Salmón emphasized that human rights should serve as a starting point for engagement and should remain central to any future dialogue with North Korea.
The report also calls for continued international monitoring and accountability. It urges the Human Rights Council to renew the mandate of the special rapporteur and encourages governments to increase financial support for civil society organizations that monitor conditions in North Korea and collect information from inside the country. This support is particularly important for groups affected by recent funding reductions in the United States.
Additionally, the UN high commissioner has encouraged countries to pursue accountability for abuses through legal avenues, including possible referral to the International Criminal Court and prosecutions in national courts using evidence gathered through UN mechanisms in fair and independent proceedings.
